(Newser)
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President Obama has accepted Stanley McChrystal's resignation, replacing him with David Petraeus, Obama announced today in a brief statement outside the White House. Obama said he had "considerable regret" about the decision, reports the AP, and stressed that he wasn't sacking McChrystal "out of any sense of personal insult." But the war, he said, was bigger than any one person. "The conduct represented in the recently published article does not meet the standard that should be set by a commanding general."

"This is a change in personnel, but it is not a change in policy," Obama said, noting that Petraeus, who stood beside him at the podium, had helped design the current strategy. Obama said he thought unity among his team was essential to winning the war. "I welcome debate among my team, but I won’t tolerate divisions," he said, adding, "It saddens me to lose the service of a soldier I have come to respect and admire."

McChrystal was guilty of gross insubordination, and it should have been noted in the President's remarks. The general got off easy, as there were grounds for court marshall.

Derni

Jun 23, 2010 2:24 PM CDT

His mistake and the talk of his close buddies cost him his job..end of story..I hope we don't have to hear the news media talk about this for the next week..they try to make a story out of a congressman farting!

Disillusioned

Jun 23, 2010 2:10 PM CDT

McChrystal got what he asked for, he knew there would be consequences and now the toll has come due. Perhaps now we might see some positive change in the situation within Afghanistan, one can only hope. As for McChrystal's political aspirations I think he dealt himself a very serious blow in that respect